Artistfacts for The Supremes

The group formed as a teenage quartet with Ross, Wilson, Ballard, and McGlown. In 1960, McGlown left to concentrate on her studies and was replaced by Barbara Martin. In 1961, when Martin left to start a family, the Supremes became a trio. In 1967, Ballard was fired from the group and was replaced by Cindy Birdsong. Jean Terrell replaced Ross in 1970. Birdsong was replaced by Lynda Laurence in 1972. Scherrie Payne replaced Terrell and Birdsong returned replacing Laurence in 1973. Birdsong left again in 1976 and was replaced by Susaye Greene. Finally in 1977, they disbanded.

When The Supremes formed, the members took turns singing lead. In 1962, Motown president Berry Gordy made Diana Ross the sole lead singer.

The Supremes had 12 #1 hits in the US and 33 in the Top-40.

Before joining the Supremes, Cindy Birdsong was a member of Patti LaBelle and the Blue Belles.

On January 14, 1970, Diana Ross gave her final performance with the Supremes at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas.

In 1972, Cindy Birdsong left the Supremes because she was expecting a baby; she was replaced by Lynda Laurence. One year later, Laurence left the group for the same reason and was replaced by Birdsong.

Before joining the Supremes, Lynda Laurence and Susaye Greene were members of Stevie Wonder's group Wonderlove.

In June 1977, the Supremes gave their farewell performance at the Drury Lane Theatre in London.

Mary Wilson stayed in the group from beginning to end.

Before they became the Supremes, they were called the Primettes. They formed as a sister group to a male group called the Primes (this group would later be renamed the Temptations). In early 1961, when they signed with Motown, they were told to change their group name because Berry Gordy didn't like it. Florence Ballard chose the name "Supremes."

Before signing to Motown, they recorded for a local label called LuPine in 1960.

When Ballard was replaced by Cindy Birdsong in 1967, their group name was changed to "Diana Ross and the Supremes". When Miss Ross left to go solo in 1970, the group name went back to being "the Supremes". Sometimes, the Supremes of the seventies are called "the new Supremes."

On a few of their '70s songs, Mary Wilson shared the lead vocals with Jean Terrell and later with Scherrie Payne. On their last album, Mary, Scherrie & Susaye, all three members took the lead.

After Florence Ballard was fired from the group in 1967, she attempted a solo career with ABC Records. She recorded an album that was never released and her two 1968 solo singles failed to chart. ABC dropped her just nine months after signing her. Eventually, she became one of rock's biggest tragedies. She lost her house, her marriage and career crumbled, her health deteriorated because of her weight gain and addictions to alcohol and different medications, and she and her three daughters ended up having to live on welfare. On February 22, 1976, she died of cardiac arrest; she was only 32 years old.

On December 20, 1981, the musical "Dreamgirls" opened on Broadway; it's loosely based on the history of the Supremes.

Mary Wilson wrote two tell-all autobiographies of her life - Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme (1986; this book is about her early life and career before Miss Ross went solo) and Supreme Faith: Someday, We'll Be Together (1990; this book is about her life and career from the seventies to the eighties). In January 2000, the two books were released together to be called Dreamgirl & Supreme Faith: My Life as a Supreme. The combination of the two books contains an afterword written by Mary at the end.

Jean Terrell was the sister of boxer Ernie Terrell. Scherrie Payne is the sister of singer/actress Freda Payne.

Two years after the Supremes disbanded, Mary Wilson released her first solo album while Payne and Greene released an album (Partners) as a duo under the names "Scherrie & Susaye".

The Supremes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.

In the mid-'60s, Diana Ross began to stand out more and more, which eventually led to their name changing to "Diana Ross and the Supremes" and later, rumors that Ross would soon begin a solo career. Before this happened, Berry Gordy and the public started to pay more attention to Ross than the other two Supremes. According to Mary Wilson's first book Dreamgirl (1986), some of the things that caused tension in the group (just to name a few) were interviewers who would talk just to Ross and not the other two Supremes, and Ross getting her own private dressing room at concerts, while the other two members had to share a room.

The fact that Ross was given more publicity and attention proved to be very hard on Florence Ballard. She became very angry and depressed and would sometimes threaten to quit the group. Soon, she turned to alcohol. Her heavy drinking, weight gain, and growing unprofessional behavior did not help matters for the group either. Many times, she began showing up late for rehearsals, concerts, and interviews; sometimes, she wouldn't show up at all. Sometimes, during concerts, she was so drunk, she wasn't able to control herself. During a performance at the Flamingo Hotel, she was replaced by Cindy Birdsong halfway through the show. Finally, in the summer of 1967, Birdsong replaced her for good.

At the end of Diana Ross's final concert with the Supremes, she introduced Jean Terrell (discovered and chosen by Berry Gordy) as the new lead singer. In her two autobiographies, Mary Wilson said that the next morning after that concert, Berry Gordy called Mary telling her that he changed his mind and wanted Syreeta Wright to replace Ross. Mary (knowing that it would be stupid to do since the Supremes already began working on a new album with Terrell) strictly refused, and Berry Gordy threatened to wash his hands of the group.

On December 20, 1981, the Broadway musical "Dreamgirls" opened at the Imperial Theatre in New York and ran for 1522 performances. The musical is loosely based on the history of the Supremes. In 2006, "Dreamgirls" was adapted into a movie. (thanks, Jerro - New Alexandria, PA, for all above)

Jean Terrell, who took over for Diana Ross, is the brother of Ernie Terrell, who was a heavyweight boxer in the 1960s and '70s. He fought Muhammad Ali in the famous "What's My Name" fight, when Ali kept beating him because Terrell was calling him "Cassius Clay." (thanks, Nate - Newport News, VA)

They appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show 20 times, which is more than any other Pop act. (thanks, Bertrand - Paris, France)

Comments: 3

"Someday We'll Be Together" was not recorded after diana left the Supremes, the track was recorded by Johnnty Bristol with Junior Walker in mind, but when he passed on it, he told Berry about the track and both agreed it would be a fit for Diana's exit from the Supremes, her vocal was added in sometime between June 69 and late summer, it was released in Oct of 69 and performed when the Supremes did the Hollywood Palace, by that time it was climbing the charts and it was determined that Diana was leaving the S;upremes when the annoucement was made in late October. Frances, Brooklyn, New YorkFrances - Atlantic City, Nj , Ny

I knew that DreamGirls was based on a real story and so is ray charles movieDemetria - Jackson, Al

Dianna Ross' real name is Dianne Ross. "Someday we'll be together" was recorded after Dianna left the group. Her voice was synced in after the track was finished. To this day the Surpemes have the most number one songs by a single group.Chris - Knoxville, Tn